Macao hosts global health forum, eyeing innovation, integration

MACAO -- The 2025 Belt and Road Initiative Global Health Forum was held in China's Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) from Monday to Thursday, gathering global representatives in science, medicine, and finance to explore the future of health innovation.

According to the organizers, the forum aimed to drive high-quality development through a deeper integration of technology and industry, leveraging Macao's unique role as a connector to Portuguese-speaking countries.

He Yao, director of the Macao Translational Medicine Center, noted that the center is committed to positioning Macao and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area within the global health ecosystem, bridging lab research and clinical practice to unlock new solutions in medicine.

Secretary for Economy and Finance of the Macao SAR government Tai Kin Ip reaffirmed the government's focus on traditional Chinese medicine and the broader health industry as key pillars of economic diversification. He emphasized Macao's cultural advantages in strengthening cooperation with Portuguese-speaking countries and the Belt and Road countries to support health tech innovation.

The event was jointly organized by the Macau University of Science and Technology Foundation, the Macao Translational Medicine Center, and Springer Nature, with support from the SAR's Commerce and Investment Promotion Institute and the Macao Science and Technology Development Fund.